FBI Announces Executive Appointments

Ms. Hess most recently served as the special agent in charge of the Louisville Division. Prior to that, she led the Science and Technology Branch as executive assistant director.

Ms. Hess entered on duty as a special agent with the FBI in 1991 and was first assigned to the Kansas City Field Office, where she investigated violent crimes, gangs, and drug trafficking organizations.

Over the course of her career, Ms. Hess has held multiple prominent leadership positions in the FBI. In 1999, she moved to the Louisville Field Office, where she worked domestic terrorism matters before being promoted to supervisory special agent of the counterterrorism/ counterintelligence squad. She then served as a team leader in the FBI’s Inspection Division. In 2007, she was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Phoenix Field Office, Tucson Resident Agency. During her assignment in Tucson, Ms. Hess temporarily deployed as the on-scene commander of the FBI’s counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan. In 2008, Ms. Hess returned to FBI Headquarters as chief of staff in the National Security Branch. She then became a section chief in the International Operations Division before being appointed special agent in charge of the Memphis Field Office in 2010. In 2011, Ms. Hess was promoted to assistant director of the Operational Technology Division, and, in 2014, she became the executive assistant director over the Science and Technology Branch.

Ms. Hess holds a degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Purdue University.

Matt Gorham Named Assistant Director of the Cyber Division

Mr. Gorham most recently served as the special agent in charge of the Counterterrorism Division at the Washington Field Office.

Mr. Gorham entered on duty with the FBI in 1995 and was first assigned to the Pittsburgh Field Office, where he worked a variety of violations with an emphasis on violent crime and drug investigations before focusing on counterterrorism matters.

Throughout his career, Mr. Gorham has served in leadership positions both internationally and domestically, to include in the International Operations Division directing all FBI operations and deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr. Gorham has also held leadership positions in the Criminal Investigative Division and in the Pittsburgh and Richmond Field Offices. He has served as deputy assistant director of the Critical Incident Response Group and as the director of the National Cyber Joint Investigative Task Force (NCIJTF). The NCIJTF is a multi-agency cyber center within the FBI Cyber Division that coordinates, integrates, and shares cyber threat information to support investigations and intelligence analysis for policymakers, the intelligence community, law enforcement, military, and trusted partners in the fight against cyber threats.

Brian Boetig Named Assistant Director of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate

Mr. Boetig most recently served as the legal attaché for Legat London.

Mr. Boetig entered on duty as a special agent with the FBI in 1998 and was first assigned to the Washington Field Office, where he investigated crimes against U.S. persons and interests in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He then transferred to the Joint Terrorism Task Force, where he worked both domestic and international counterterrorism cases.

Mr. Boetig has served in several notable leadership positions. In 2003, he joined the FBI Academy at Quantico as an instructor. He then moved to the San Francisco Field Office, San Jose Resident Agency, to serve as the supervisory special agent over the cyber squad. In 2008, Mr. Boetig became an FBI Counterterrorism Division Liaison Officer to the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center. Two years later, he was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Oklahoma City Field Office, with oversight of all counterterrorism and cyber matters. In 2013, after serving as the director of the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force, Mr. Boetig was named special agent in charge of the Buffalo Field Office.

Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. Boetig worked as a special agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and as a police officer in Auburn, Alabama.

Michael Gavin Named Assistant Director of the IT Applications and Data Division

Mr. Gavin most recently served as the special agent in charge of the Memphis Field Office.

Mr. Gavin entered on duty as a special agent with the FBI in 1995 and was first assigned to the Las Vegas Field Office, where he investigated white-collar crime, violent crime, and organized crime matters. He was a member of the Las Vegas SWAT team, a certified Safe Streets tactical instructor, a firearms instructor, and a tactical emergency medical technician.

Mr. Gavin has broad experience in multiple programs, having served in numerous leadership positions throughout his career. In 2003, he was promoted to supervisory special agent at FBI Headquarters working in the Asian Organized Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigative Division before moving to the Asia desk of the International Operations Division. In 2005, Mr. Gavin transferred to the Mobile Field Office, where he served as supervisory senior resident agent of the Montgomery Resident Agency. He returned to FBI Headquarters in 2008 as an assistant inspector and team leader in the Inspection Division. In 2010, Mr. Gavin was named assistant special agent in charge of the San Francisco Field Office. He was promoted in 2013 to section chief of the Operational Support Section within the Criminal Investigative Division.

Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. Gavin worked as a special agent with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Marlin Ritzman Named Assistant Director of the Information Management Division

Mr. Ritzman most recently served as special agent in charge of the Anchorage Field Office.

Mr. Ritzman entered on duty with the FBI in 1990 and was first assigned to the Kansas City Field Office, where he investigated organized crime and drug matters for seven years. Mr. Ritzman is a certified SWAT agent and a firearms and police instructor.

Throughout the course of his career, Mr. Ritzman has served the FBI in leadership positions both at home and abroad. In 1997, he transferred to the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team (HRT), where he served as an assault team leader. During Mr. Ritzman’s tenure with HRT, he completed multiple deployments around the world, including to Afghanistan, Kosovo, Iraq, and Yemen. In 2004, Mr. Ritzman transferred to the Kansas City Field Office, Jefferson City Resident Agency, where he worked a variety of violations with an emphasis on violent crime and gang matters. Two years later, Mr. Ritzman was selected to serve as assistant legal attaché in Islamabad, Pakistan. Mr. Ritzman then returned to Kansas City as supervisory special agent over the violent crime squad. In 2013, he was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Kansas City Field Office, managing all criminal programs and the administrative branch. Mr. Ritzman was then selected to serve as chief of the Transnational Organized Crime-Western Hemisphere section in the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters in 2015 before being selected as the special agent in charge of the Anchorage Field Office.

Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. Ritzman served in the United States Army as an infantry officer.